Sway With Me
by taylorcatherine
Summary: Kagome Higurashi, fresh out of high school, teaches at a dance studio. Simple life but who cares? She's HAPPY. That's all that matters. Until he came along...everything changed. InuKag, MirSan, KouAya   a few others? Rated T...may go to M later on. RxR!
1. Important News

**HELLO! So it's me again, back with another new story! I'm sorry that I haven't finished the Zutara fanfic, but I'll get to it soon enough. I'm going to upload the chapter for it in a day or two...but after that I'm not sure what'll happen. I've been having some major cases of writer's block. It would be FANTASTIC if you people read and review for me...on this and the new chapter for "It's a Date." I would greatly appreciate it. If my reviewers for It's a Date would be so kind as to suggest anything-and I mean ANYTHING-for upcoming chapters, you would be my new hero!**

**Anyhoo, here is a new story. It's an Inuyasha fanfic. I think it could be considered alternate universe or whatever :P Here is a full summary:**

**Kagome Higurashi is a girl fresh out of high school who works at a dance studio in her hometown. But when her old teacher and owner of the studio asks her to allow a famous dancing hanyou by the name of Inuyasha Takahashi watch her classes, dancing won't be the only thing raising heartbeats. Alas, this is the modern-day...so Kagome highly doubts there is a thing called "Happily Ever After." Can Inuyasha change her mind?**

**WELL there you have it! Short and sweet, somewhat to the point ;] I'm not perfect at summaries but I'm not horrible. I didn't want to give away any other details. Oh but I will say this-Kikyo, Naraku, (HATE THEM BOTH...sorry Kikyo lovers!) Sango, Miroku, and some other major characters will be making an appearance. Sorry it's a little short, next chapter will be interesting though :D **

***DISCLAIMER* (becuase I don't wanna be sued...) I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the characters. No copyright intended. The only thing I own is any characters unfamiliar to the series and my idea. Make sense? I hope so! :D**

_How lucky can one guy be?_

_I kissed her and she kissed me!_

_Like the fella once said-_

_Ain't that a kick in the head?_

Eighteen year-old Kagome Higurashi was in the dance studio twenty minutes from her family's home in Erie, Pennsylvania. (A/N: Yes I know it's different It was the first place that popped in my head and it goes into the story perfectly. It'll get better trust me.) Dancing was her joy, especially since she was old enough to teach younger students.

_The room was completely black._

_I hugged her and she hugged back!_

_Like the sailor said quote-_

_Ain't that a hole in the boat?_

While she waited for the students to come in for lessons, she listened to a Dean Martin CD given to her by her father…it was her favorite one.

_My head keeps spinnin'_

_I go to sleep and keep grinnin'_

_If this is just the beginnin'_

_My life is gonna be…_

_Beeeea-utiful!_

She decided to do a few random dance moves. With her black dance shoes on, she began twirling and she felt lighter than air. Humming along the tune, she kept spinning. What Kagome didn't realize, because her eyes were closed, was that her students were silently filing into the room, watching her quietly. She knew the song was almost over so she did a few more spins and a jump with a great landing. Taking a deep breath she slowly began opening her eyes. All she heard was clapping. She snapped her eyes open and turned around to see all of her students there with grins on their faces.

"When did you guys get here?" She tried to hide her blush.

"We've been here Ms. Higurashi!" Yelled one of her favorite students, Shippo. She just smiled and shook her head at the them.

"Now you guys know you can call me Kagome!" She sat down on one side of the room.

"Well? Get your shoes on and get over here goofballs!" Kagome said with a grin, while her students rushed over to her. "Now then," she began, "from what I've heard…the owner of the dance studio will be stopping in during our class today, so I want all of you to be on your best behavior! I've been told she has some very important news for us. Am I understood?" All of her students nodded, and she smiled in relief.

"Kagome? I have two questions." Shippo said. Kagome nodded for him to continue. "One, does that mean we'll have to call you Ms. Higurashi? And two, what was that music you were playing earlier?" He asked her with a very genuine curiosity.

"Well Shippo…you may want to call me that for the day and I'll give you all the OK when it's safe to call me Kagome. And the music? It was a CD given to me by my Dad a long time ago." She said, grabbing the silver locket around her neck. _Dad I miss you so much…I wish you were here._

"Can we listen to it more? I really liked it!" Yelled another one of her students, making everybody's faces light up. Kagome couldn't turn her students down because they were all just so darn cute! She chuckled.

"Yes we can listen to it more. But-if I play it, you must pick a dance partner and I want to see if you have been practicing!" The students all cheered and stood up, asking people to be their dance partners. Kagome got up and walked over to the stereo in the center of the wall and hit the 'PLAY' button, letting the amazing voice of Dean Martin to fill the room.

"Okay everybody! Since you heard the first song earlier from me dancing…let's go to the next one!" She stated, clapping her hands to get her point across.

_When the moon hits your eye_

_Like a big pizza pie_

_That's Amore!_

_When the world seems to shine_

_Like you've had too much wine_

_That's Amore!_

Kagome watched as her class began dancing, and so far they were doing fairly well. She felt proud to be the one teaching them this. She watched as Shippo danced with one of the young girls. _So adorable…_She thought to herself. It had been 25 minutes since class began when the owner of the dance studio walked in.

"Kagome my dear! What a fine group of dancers!" She said as she walked towards Kagome.

"Thank you, Ms. Kaede." Kagome greeted the elderly woman with a smile.

"How have you been little one?" Kaede put her hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"I've been doing very well. I just graduated high school, it's summer, and I've got the best job ever! And Ms. Kaede I'm not little anymore." Kagome chuckled. When Kagome was very young and started dancing, Ms. Kaede had been her teacher. She loved the old woman to death.

"That is true, but I can't seem to get used to you being so much older!" Kaede smiled. Kagome laughed a little and took Kaede's hand.

"Come sit down over here and we can chat a little." Kagome said, guiding the elder to a chair.

"Thank you my darling." Kagome nodded in response. There was silence for a few seconds before Kaede spoke up.

"So child, what is this music you're playing?" Kaede asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh! It's Dean Martin. My Father gave me the CD when I was younger. I just came across it this morning and I hope you don't mind-" Kaede held her hand up to silence her.

"Child, I know why you're playing it. It is perfectly fine! I happen to love Dean Martin myself!" She said with a knowing smile. Kagome nodded her head in thanks.

"So…Ms. Kaede…I've been informed that there was something important you wished to speak with me about?" Kagome gestured for the woman to sit down in the chair beside the music rack. Kaede nodded.

"Yes, there is. I'm happy to say after trying very, very hard to get ahold of him...I have asked a famous ballroom dancer to come and watch one of the teachers during classes. And he accepted!" Kaede beamed with happiness, but Kagome knew where she was going with this. "Anyways my dear, I would like it if he could watch your all day classes on Saturday? If you don't mind." Kaede asked with a very hopeful look. Kagome couldn't find it in her to say no. She did think it might be a good way to get the dance studio publicity, and she wouldn't mind. Her only concern was if the man would be kind to her dancers.

"Well my dear? What do you say?" Kaede set her hand on Kagome's, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I'd be more than happy to!" She said with a smile that wasn't entirely fake. "Oh, Ms. Kaede?"

"Yes?" Kaede said, turning towards Kagome.

"What is his name? The dancer's?" She asked with a curiosity she couldn't hide. Kaed smiled.

"His name is Inuyasha Takahashi." And with that, she bid her farewells and left the studio.

_Inuyasha Takahashi…_


	2. Inuyasha Takahashi

Kagome opened her eyes slightly and glanced at her alarm clock. It was 9:22 AM. She still had an hour and a half before she had to be at the studio. _Today is Saturday…I'm not gonna like this._ She groaned as she sat up in bed and stretched her arms over her head. Sighing to herself, she got up and walked to the bathroom.

"Kagome? Are you up dear?" Kagome's mother said as she heard her daughter walk into the hall.

"Yeah Mom I'm up…gotta get ready for work. Can you make breakfast?" She asked while she stood in the bathroom doorway, waiting for a response.

"Yes honey. It'll be ready when you come down." Kagome yelled 'thanks' to her Mom and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. 20 minutes passed and Kagome walked into her room, wrapped in a towel with her hair in another one on top of her head. Walking to her dresser, she pulled out gray leotard, black leggings, and a flowing, sky-blue see-through skirt. She threw the outfit along with her black dance shoes in her dance bag, and grabbed a pair of shorts, a tank top, and her sneakers.

"Morning Mom." Kagome said, walking into the kitchen.

"Morning honey! Did you sleep well?" Her mother smiled brightly at her, while setting her breakfast in front of her.

"Yeah I slept pretty good. Thanks for making me breakfast." Her mother nodded and sat down next to her at the table. Kagome loved her mother, she always knew what Kagome wanted for breakfast. Today, it was French toast. She took a big bite and smiled.

"Mom I love your cooking." Kagome said with a smile, taking another bite. Her mom laughed.

"Well I'm glad you do!" Her mother turned and looked at the clock. It read 10:05 AM. "Oh Kagome you'd better hurry you have a half hour until work and it takes twenty minutes to get there!" Kagome looked at the clock and her eyes bulged. She scarfed down the rest of her French toast and headed for her truck.

"Bye Mom!" She yelled, walking out the door. _Now I've just got to make it through today and it'll be like this never happened…I hope._

~O.O~O.O~

"Morning Ms. Kaede!" Kagome said running upstairs to the studio she taught in. She walked in and found Kaede sitting in a chair and her students talking to each other.

"Ah good morning child!" Kaede smiled brightly at Kagome. Kagome wasn't even aware of the young man that was sitting on the other side of Kaede.

"Kagome my dear, come here please." Kagome nodded, setting her things down and approaching Kaede. It was then she realized the man sitting beside her. He had amber eyes, long silver hair, dog ears, and was completely ignoring her.

"Yes?" She said when she reached her.

"Kagome, this is Inuyasha Takahashi. Inuyasha, this is my best teacher, Kagome Higurashi." Kagome blushed at Kaede's kind words. Inuyasha stood up and looked at her.

"Hi there. Nice to meet you." He said with a smirk. _Well at least he doesn't seem like a total jackass._ Kagome thought to herself.

"Nice to meet you as well. If you don't mind I'd like to change and get my class started." She said while looking at Kaede and Inuyasha. Kaede nodded.

"Well that was odd." Kagome said to herself when she reached the bathroom. "He doesn't seem rude…but he gives off an arrogant feel…" Kagome just shook her head. When she finished changing, she walked into her class.

"Good morning kids!" She said and the kids ran to her and gave her a hug. Inuyasha smirked at the sight.

"Ms. Higurashi is very well with kids. She's been dancing here since she was very young." Ms. Kaede whispered to Inuyasha, low enough to only he could hear her. He nodded in approval.

"Alright class, today we have a professional ballroom dancer. Please say hello to Mr. Takahashi." Kagome gestured towards Inuyasha. The kids all looked at him and grinned.

"Hi Mr. Takahashi!" They yelled, a little too loud for his ears. He grinned and said 'hello' back.

"So today we are going to continue working with partners in dancing. And since you all loved it so much a few days ago, I brought my CD again." She said while grabbing the Dean Martin CD from her bag. The kid's eyes bulged and they cheered, making Kagome smiled.

She approached the stereo. "Excuse me." She said with a smile at Inuyasha. He smiled and moved aside. Kagome could feel him staring at her and it was a bit irritating. She shrugged it off and hit 'PLAY.'

"Okay, partner up!" She said and began playing the CD. She changed it to number six.

_I'd cry like a baby if you told me goodbye._

_I'd feel like a snowball on the 4__th__ of July._

_If you ever said you were leaving for good…_

_I'd weep like a weeping willow._

_Honest I would!_

Kagome watched as her student's started dancing to the music and watched them glide without trouble. She couldn't help but grin.

"Not bad Ms. Higurashi. Not bad at all." Inuyasha said while looking down at her.

"Thank you. And please, call me Kagome." She said with a smile.

"So Kaede said you've been dancing since you were young. How old were you when you started?" He asked with a curious look.

"Well, I started dancing when I was 7...my Dad loved watching me dance so he decided to put me in a dance school." Kagome sighed at the memories of her Father. Inuyasha nodded.

"I see…so you can teach people to dance…but can _you_ dance?" He asked with a smirk. Kagome's mouth dropped._ He did NOT just ask me that! 'Afraid he did sweetie..'__ Shut up._

"Yes. As a matter of fact I can." She said sharply at him. Inuyasha's smirk turned into what seemed to be an evil grin. Kagome gulped.

"Well then, you wouldn't mind dancing with me." He held his hand out to her. She was shocked and extremely confused, but then she smirked.

"I'd love to." She said sarcastically. "Kaede, change the song to number five! Class! Please go over by the stereo and sit down!" Kagome never took her eyes off Inuyasha's. She just glared at him. _Oh yeah, this is definitely war._

"Let's dance, puppy dog." She said with a smirk. He blinked at her._ Did she just call me a puppy dog? '__Why yes, yes she did indeed.'__ Shut it. I don't wanna deal with you right now._

Clearing his throat, they walked to the middle of the room. Kagome told Kaede to play the music, and soon Dean Martin's voice filled the room again.

"Ready?" She said as she took two steps back.

Inuyasha smirked. "If you can handle me, wench." Kagome's face went beat-red at that comment. He just called her a wench! No WAY is her getting away with that!

"Don't make me get a leash." She mumbled so only he could hear. That did it. That was the icing on the cake. She better be ready for a Tango.

_Bing!_

_Bing!_

_Bing!_

_Bing!_

_When the rhythm rhythm starts to play,_

_Dance with me._

_Make me sway._

_Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore,_

_Hold me close…_

_Sway me more._

Inuyasha stuck his hand out in front of him and she grabbed it, spinning her and wrapping his arms around her, stopping her in front of him. She stayed there for a minute swaying to the beat against him before swaying back out.

_Like a flower bendin' in the breeze,_

_Bend with me…_

_Sway with ease._

_When we dance you have a way with me_

_Stay with me…_

_Sway with me._

Kagome took a long stride and rested her arm on his shoulder, while his hand rested on her hip. Taking his other hand in her hand, they began to glide.

_Other dancers may be on the floor…_

_Dear but my eyes will see only you._

_Only you have the magic technique!_

_When we sway I go weak!_

Holding her hand tightly in his, she spun out of his reach. When she began to twirl back into him, he took a step forward so she'd stop while facing him. They looked at each other for a moment before dancing again.

_I can hear the sound of violins_

_Long before, it begins._

_You make me feel as only you know how,_

_Sway me smooth, sway me now._

Inuyasha let her twirl out of his reach again, smirking at a thought that he had. When she began to get near him again, he let go of both of her hands. She didn't fall, instead she felt two strong hands grab her waist and lift her into the air, spinning her in circles. When she came down, they began their simple dance again.

_Other dancers may be on the floor,_

_Dear but my eyes will see only you._

_Only you have the magic technique!_

_When we sway I go weak!_

_I can hear the sound of violins_

_Long before, it begins._

_You make me feel as only you know how,_

_Sway me smooth…_

_Sway me now._

Kagome knew the song was almost over, and apparently so did Inuyasha. He tightened his grip on her while they danced, and began to spin in fast circles. Letting go of her for a minute, she spun out of his reach and kept spinning on her own. She knew that if she started to tilt he'd catch her, so she did just that. When he saw her body lean over to the side to much, he linked an arm around her waist while the other held her hand. She didn't fall but she wasn't standing either. So she kicked a leg up and tilted her head back for a finishing touch.

They just stared at each other, panting heavily. _Now THAT, was a dance!_ Kagome thought to herself, not taking her gaze off him for a second. _Woah…what just happened?_ Inuyasha was staring at her chocolate eyes, refusing to switch his gaze.

"Ah my dears that was wonderful!" Kaede yelled, snapping them out of their thoughts. All the kids ran to Kagome.

"Ms. Higurashi you are a really good dancer!" Shippo said as her ran up and hugged her. She giggled.

"Thanks Shippo. Someday you'll all be able to dance that good, probably even better!" She smiled at her students.

"No way! You were so perfect Ms. Higurashi! And Mr. Takahashi is strong! He danced while you were up in the air!" A little girl named Lee said. Kagome couldn't help but smile. The kids were just…so cute!

"That was some dancing for an amateur." Kagome sweat dropped. She can't believe what she just heard him say.

"Kids, it's lunch time! Go downstairs to the fridge and eat in the lounge, I'll be there shortly." The kids all nodded at Kagome and ran down the stairs, Kaede following them.

"So Mr. Takahashi, was there something you'd like to tell me?" She didn't face him, if she did he'd have a handprint on his face.

"Well, you are a pretty good dancer for an amateur." He said casually. Kagome cringed as she turned around slowly. Kagome cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry if my 11 years of dancing isn't good enough for you, Mr. Takahashi. But I would like it if you respect me in front of my students. That includes refraining from jackass comments like the one you just made. Do I make myself clear?" She was shooting daggers at him with her eyes. He just blinked and looked at her. _What did I say? '__Well you pretty much just dissed her dancing.'__ How?__ 'Oh come on! "pretty good for an amateur?"'__ Shit…_

"I'm sorry if I offended you in anyway, Ms. Higurashi. That was not my intentions. You are a very good dancer." He said, thinking the problem was solved.

"Don't be a suck up. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to lunch." She walked right by him. He mentally kicked himself. Before he thought about it he grabbed her wrist.

"Wait. Look I'm sorry? How about I make it up to you? I'll buy you lunch." Kagome stood there. She turned her head to the side to speak, but not looking at him.

"Thank you, but no. Have a good day, Mr. Takahashi." She yanked her wrist out of his grip and walked to the bathroom to change.

"That was just odd." She said to herself. Once she was changed, she walked downstairs to find Kaede.

"Ms. Kaede I'm going to lunch, I'll be back in an hour." She said when she reached the lounge.

"Ah very good my dear! Is Mr. Takahashi going with you?" Kaede asked, standing up and walking towards her.

"Uh…well…no. I mean-he offered…but I said no." Kaede looked at her and shook her head.

"Very well…off you go then!" Kaede said, ushering her out. Kagome sighed and walked to a diner a few blocks down. Unknowingly, a pair of amber eyes were following her. When she reached the diner, she walked in and sat down.

"Hey Kagome!" Kagome looked up to see Kouga, and smiled.

"Hey Kouga, I didn't know you worked today." She said as he sat by her for a minute.

"Yeah, I usually have off to hang with Ayame…but she's at home sick so I decided to come in." He shrugged and she nodded.

"Mind if I join you?" Kagome's face went paled when she recognized Inuyasha's voice.

"Kagome do you know this guy?" Kagome looked at Kouga then Inuyasha.

"Unfortunately yes. Kouga this is Inuyasha Takahashi. Mr. Takahashi this is Kouga Ookami." She gestured them to each other.

"Nice to meet you Kouga." Inuyasha said.

"You too dog-breath." Kouga smirked and Inuyasha glared at him.

"At least I don't smell like some mangy wolf." Inuyasha mumbled.

"Do NOT start you two. Yes Inuyasha you can join me." Kagome glared at them then looked at her lap.

"Well Kags I'll see ya later. Call Ayame and we can all get together sometime." Kagome nodded then waved goodbye to him, while Inuyasha sat down.

"Okay so why are you stalking me?" Kagome snapped.

"I'm not, I was hungry and I noticed this diner." He said oh-so innocently.

"Whatever. What do you want?" She leaned back in the booth and looked at her shirt.

"Ramen. And to say I am sorry about that comment." Kagome looked at him. He looked like he was sincere, so she just shrugged.

"Alright. And you want ramen?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Hey Kouga! Come here!" Kagome yelled. Kouga walked over to her and leaned on the table.

"What's up?" He asked, pulling out a piece of paper to take their order.

"Two ice teas, and two bowls of ramen." Kouga nodded while writing down their orders.

"Okay, coming right up." He said to her with a smile.

She nodded. "At ease, soldier." Kouga saluted her and then ran to the kitchen. She just laughed.

"Well that was odd." Inuyasha said. Kagome only laughed more.

"Yeah, all my friends are like that." She said with a smile. He nodded. Soon their food was there, and they dug in. Kagome looked at Inuyasha and tried not to laugh. He was stuffing his mouth full of ramen, she was shocked he could still breathe. Inuyasha noticed her gaze and looked at her.

"Whad aru lookin ad?" He said with his mouth still full. She couldn't fight it anymore. She broke down into laughter at his face. He just gave her a confused stare and swallowed his food.

"What's so funny?" He snapped. She started to calm down.

"Haha I'm sorry you just looked so silly!" She let out a few more giggles before calming down completely.

"You're weird kid." He said flatly.

"Who you calling kid? I bet you're only like 19 or 20!" She said.

"Nice job. I'm 20."

"Well I'm 18. Glad we got that cleared up." Inuyasha rolled his eyes when his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and answered it.

"Oh no." He groaned in anger. Kagome gave him a confused look. He just held a finger up so signal "one second."

"Hello? Hi Kikyo. I'm at a diner. Eating lunch, what else? A friend. What do you mean? Why are you? I'm busy Kikyo! We already talked about this. I told you I was coming to a dance studio for the day to watch a girl teach her class. No, stay there. Whatever. Goodbye." He clicked the 'END' button and sighed.

"Something wrong?" Kagome looked at him confused.

"My ex Kikyo is bugging me. She wanted to know what I was doing and I told her. She doesn't like the idea of me hanging with another girl…it's irritating because we aren't even together. Now she says she is coming here for the rest of the day." He groaned in anger.

"Well if you want to go home or something you can, I'll tell Kaede." She offered.

"You sure?" She nodded and he sighed.

"Alright. Tell Ms. Kaede I apologize that I couldn't stay longer and that something came up. Sorry about this. Maybe we could hang out and have another dance again?" He gave her a hopeful look, and she thought about it.

"I'll think about it. Here is my cell number. Give me a call sometime and we'll figure something out." She handed him a napkin with her number scribbled on it. He smiled. Kagome looked down and noticed the check.

"Oh I better pay this before I go." She reached in her bag for her wallet.

"No...I got this." Inuyasha pulled out his wallet. Kagome glared at him.

"No...I don't let others pay for me. Just let me pay for it!" She said. He shook his head, but she wasn't going to let him pay if it killed her. Kagome HATED it when other people paid for her. When he wasn't looking, she reached over and tried to grab the check...but was stopped when Inuyasha grabbed her hand and growled.

"Just let me pay for it." He said, and she gave up.

"Fine. But I call tip!" She pulled out a $5 bill and laid it on the table.

"Haha okay." He stood up and offered her his hand to help her.

"Thanks. Anyways here is my cell number. But don't bug me all the time okay?" She smiled at him.

"Thanks. Well see you around Ms. Higurashi." He held out his hand for her to shake.

"Welcome. And it's Kagome." She shook his hand and smiled.

"Alright then. Goodbye Kagome." He said.

"See ya later…Inuyasha." she smiled and left.

_She may look like Kikyo...but that is a totally different person._


	3. Go to Hell, Kikyo

It had been 3 weeks, 5 days, 2 hours and 21 minutes since Kagome had last spoken to Inuyasha…which was at the diner. Not like she was keeping track or anything, right? Kagome glanced at her alarm clock, reading 4:33 PM. She was BORED.

"Next time I meet somebody, make sure to get THEIR number too." Kagome flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. _I got work in an hour…might as well just go early since there isn't anything better to do._ She sighed and stood up, walking to her dresser. Pulling open a drawer, she grabbed a black tank top, grey leggings, and a flowing red see-through skirt that went just above her knees.

"Mama, I'm gonna leave early since there isn't anything to do…Mama?" Kagome looked around and found nobody in the kitchen. _Well that's weird…_ She began searching the rest of the house, only to find that she was left alone. "When the heck did they all sneak out?" Kagome was confused, but she just shrugged and headed back downstairs.

_Mom, Souta, Grandpa;_

_Went to work a little early. See you when I get home._

_Love,_

_Kagome_

She dropped the note onto the kitchen table and headed out to the car. Revving the engine, she pulled out of the driveway and headed for the dance studio.

~O.O~O.O~

Kagome opened the door to the dance studio and heard voices upstairs.

"Mr. Takahashi who is that lady?" Kagome froze when she recognized Shippo's voice. _No way in hell…_ She started to walk upstairs, quietly listening to the conversation.

"Yashie-poo why are we here?" An unknown voice said, obviously feminine…and rather annoying.

"I just wanted to stop by and say hi to the kids again and my friend." Kagome immediately recognized the hanyou's voice. She was standing outside the door to her class, waiting for the right moment to walk in.

"Why? Can't we just leave? These kids are annoying." The annoying female said. Kagome chose then to walk into the room, and a few small gasps were heard.

"Good evening class! Why are you kids staring at me?" Kagome felt somebody poking her leg, so she looked down, to find Shippo signaling her to sit down quick.

"Kagome…that weird lady looks like you!" He whispered in her ear. Kagome looked at Shippo with a confused look. He sighed and pointed to the stereo, and Kagome looked in the direction he was pointing._ Holy shit…_The girl looked a lot like Kagome, except her hair was as straight as a pin, had entirely too much make up on, and looked a bit aggressive.

"Um hi…can I help you two?" Kagome said while standing up, ushering Shippo back to the rest of the kids.

"Kagome it's me." Inuyasha said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh Mr. Takahashi…nice to see you again." She smiled and nodded, then turned towards the other woman.

"Hi there. I'm Kagome Higurashi, and you would be?" Kagome held her hand out for the woman to shake.

"Kikyo." She didn't even bother to give Kagome her last name. _I hate her already. 'Me too!' What is she doing here? 'No clue…but looks like she is with Inuyasha.'_

Kagome looked to Inuyasha and he gave her a look that said something like "I'm sorry" or "Help me!" Kagome nodded and he sighed.

"So, Kikyo what brings you here?" Kagome gave her a fake smile. Kikyo scoffed.

"Obviously I came with Yashie-poo. Shouldn't you be teaching or something?" She glared at Kagome.

"Oh of course. Class! Your choice, we can practice our partner dancing or the dance routing for the recital." She looked at the kids. They all looked at each other before shouting.

"PARTNERS!" They all ran to each other's partners and waited for her to start the music they loved…Dean Martin.

"Excuse me, but you're in my way." She said in a fake-sweet tone to Kikyo. Kikyo rolled her eyes and stepped aside. She let the music play and the kids started dancing. Kikyo started to gag.

"Ew what is this crap? Why would you play this for them?" She looked at Kagome with a completely disgusted look. Inuyasha had been standing aside until she said that. He went to say something but Kagome shot him a look that told him she would handle it.

Kagome cleared her throat and looked at Kikyo, her face showing absolute anger. "This is Dean Martin. His music is classic, it's what a lot of people would call REAL music. In case you can't tell, my class obviously loves it. The music you obviously listen to, that rap or hip hop crap, THAT is trash. You would know, obviously." Kagome glared at her, Inuyasha had an amused look on his face. Kikyo wasn't going to back down though.

"Excuse me? At least I'm not some low-life loser who can't dance and obviously can't dress either." Kikyo thought she had won, but Kagome was just getting warmed up.

"I do not appreciate the attitude. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Kagome didn't want to make a scene with her class right there.

"Fine! Come on Yashie-poo." Kikyo grabbed his hand and started dragging him behind her. He looked back at Kagome with a look that said "HELP!"

"Oh Kikyo! I asked YOU to leave…not Mr. Takahashi." Kagome gave her a fake smile.

"Well that's too bad because he's my boyfriend and is coming with me." She spat the word 'boyfriend' like throwing a knife. Inuyasha looked at Kikyo like she was a lunatic.

"Kikyo…we aren't dating anymore. I broke up with you after you cheated on me." Inuyasha said as calm as he could, trying not to let his anger get the best of him. Kikyo looked at him with a shocked face, but just stormed off.

"Thank God she's gone!" Kagome sighed. She sat down in one of the chairs by the stereo.

"I'm sorry about that Kagome…she wouldn't stop bugging me about coming here so I just gave in." Inuyasha sat down in another chair.

"Inuyasha it's fine. So why are you here anyways? And how did you know I worked today?" She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Uh…well…I-uh…I was gonna call. But I…kinda, sorta-lost your number." He kept his head towards the ground and Kagome chuckled.

"Oh well that's no big deal! Here." She grabbed a tablet off the stereo and wrote her number down. She ripped off the piece of paper and put it in his hand.

"Uh….thanks. Do you always have paper and pen ready or something?" He raised an eyebrow at and she laughed.

"No, I keep a tablet here so I can take notes on what needs improved or changed." He nodded in understanding. She sighed and listened to the music…it was a slow song that her and her Dad used to dance to in the living room. Out of instinct she held her silver locket in her hand. Inuyasha could sense the sadness radiating off her, and he glanced at her.

"Hey, you okay?" He looked at her and she didn't respond. _What's she thinking about? _He wondered. Then he noticed the locket around her neck she was playing with. He put his hand on her shoulder and shook her a little. Snapping out of her thoughts she looked at him.

"Yes?" She blinked at him wondering what he wanted.

"You okay?" He looked at her with those amber eyes.

"Uh yeah why wouldn't I be?"

"Don't lie to me. I can smell you lying." _Damn those demon senses._ She thought to herself. She sighed and looked away.

"I'm just reminiscing." She looked out the window at the other side of the room.

"Reminiscing what?"

"My Dad." That was all she said. She didn't want to talk about it anymore, so before he could ask anymore questions she looked at her class.

"Okay guys. We're gonna try something different. Who would like to have Inu-uh…Mr. Takahashi teach class today?" His eyes bulged out of his head. _WHAT? _He kept screaming in his head.

"Yeah! Will you Mr. Takahashi?" A little girl yelled. He sighed and nodded, causing the kids to jump for joy.

"Okay okay calm down squirts." He said and stood up. He thought for a second about what he could teach them. He couldn't come up with anything, so instead he just asked…

"Alright, how many of you would like to watch Ms. Higurashi and I dance again?" Shippo was the first to react.

"Yes! Oh Ms. Higurashi please? You were so great last time!" Shippo begged, and soon enough the other kids were also begging. Kagome just stared at Inuyasha in disbelief…no way in HELL is getting away with that! He smirked and looked at her.

"Well Ms. Higurashi, what do you say? You wouldn't want to let these little munchkins down would you?" He held his hand out for her again. She took it, but she glared at him. It's not that she didn't like him, he was somewhat nice…but man he was a smartass!

"You know what they say puppy dog…it takes two to Tango." She smirked, it was obvious he didn't like that because his ears went flat against his head and his brows furrowed.

"Very true, wench. Very true." Her mouth dropped. She glanced over at Shippo who was by the stereo.

"Shippo…play number eleven." Shippo nodded and switched the song. The music started, and so did their dance.

_Hey Mambo!_

_Mambo Italiano!_

_H-hey Mambo, Mambo Italiano!_

_Go go go! You mixed up Siciliano_

_All you Calabrese do the Mambo like-a crazy with the-_

_Hey Mambo! Don't want tarantella_

_Hey Mambo! No more mozzarella_

_Hey Mambo! Mambo Italiano!_

_Try an enchilada with a fish baccala_

This song was much faster than the one they first danced to. It started off similar to their last dance. He held his hand out and she grabbed it. Spinning into him like the first time, except this time his arms didn't wrap around her. Instead, his arm was over her head while she spun and came to halt by grabbing his shoulder, and his arm grabbed her waist and pulled her against him. They began to do very precise dance steps, but glided at the same time.

_Hey Goomba, I love how you dance the Rumba_

_But take some advice paisano, learn-a how to Mambo!_

_If you're gonna be a square you ain't-a gonna go no where!_

_Hey Mambo! Mambo Italiano!_

_H-hey Mambo! Mambo Italiano!_

_Go go Joe shake like a tiavanna_

_E lo che se dice you get happy in the pizza when you_

_Mambo Italiano!_

Kagome let go of Inuyasha and twirled out of his reach, and he stood there looking dumbfounded. She smirked and began to shake her hips (A/N: shaking them similar to Shakira, but a little different :P). Iinuyasha took two long strides, and grabbed her by the waist, lifting her into the air again. That was exactly what she wanted him to do. Before he knew it, Kagome latched her hands onto his arms and pushed her weight off, flipping over top of him and landing behind him. She tapped him on the shoulder, and he spun around and grabbed her again so they were dancing.

_Hey chadrool!_

_You don't-a have to go to a school_

_Just make it with a big bambino_

_It's like vino_

_Kid you good-a looking but you…_

"YASHIE-POO!" Kagome and Inuyasha froze and glanced at the door to see Kikyo back. Kagome immediately dropped her arms, but Inuyasha kept his left arm around her waist.

"Class go for a bathroom and water break please." Kagome said sternly. The class nodded and hurried out of the room and downstairs. Inuyasha didn't move his arm off her, so she glanced at his face. He didn't look pleased.

"Yashie-poo why are you holding onto that trash?" Kikyo approached Inuyasha and Kagome with a 'sad' face.

"She isn't trash Kikyo. And we were dancing until we were rudely interrupted." He glared at her, but she wasn't phased. Instead she turned towards Kagome, and smacked her across the face.

"Do NOT touch my Yashie!" Kikyo said like spoiled rotten 5 year old. Kagome's head was turned and she was looking at the ground, feeling the sting in her cheek and wetness trying to come out of her eyes. Inuyasha looked at Kagome, shocked she was so quiet…then he smelled the salt from her unshed tears. He almost spoke up until Kagome cleared her throat.

"Kikyo…you have exactly ten seconds to leave or you will deeply regret being in here." Kagome didn't look at her, just kept her head to the floor.

1...

2...

3...

"Yeah right.('4') Yashie we should ('5') get going." Kikyo turned towards Inuyasha looking sweet as pie.

6...

"Kikyo leave now. ('7')" He said, taking a step back.

"WHAT? ('8')" She yelled, then started going on a rant about how she shouldn't be told what to do.

9...

10.

"Oh Kikyo…" Kagome said, turning to look at Kikyo.

"What!" Kikyo yelled.

Kagome just smiled. "Go to Hell." THWAP!

Kagome shook her hand a little. She just punched Kikyo right in the jaw.

"Damn Kagome…" Inuyasha was in shock, he couldn't quit staring at Kagome. He didn't even notice Kikyo run out of the room screaming. Kagome kept her face down and took a few deep breaths…her hand hurt now. And it didn't help her tears that started to fall from the pain.

"Inuyasha go check on the class downstairs. I need to go wash up." Kagome walked out of the room, leaving a very stunned hanyou.

The rest of Kagome's shift was spent in the bathroom trying to get the swelling down from where she was smacked, and to stop crying. When she was finally cleaned up she walked downstairs.

"Ms. Higurashi are you okay?" Shippo asked, looking at her with his big green eyes.

"I'm fine Shippo." Her voice cracked. Obviously, she was not okay. Inuyasha was sitting down talking with a few of the kids when he heard her come in.

"Kagome you okay? I'm gonna kill Kikyo when I see her! I can't believe-" He stopped because she held up her hand to silence him.

"Inuyasha I'm fine…but if you don't mind my shift is over and the next teacher will be here soon…so I'm going to go home." She said goodbye to her students and walked outside.

"Kagome wait!" Inuyasha ran out before she got to far. He grabbed her wrist and turned her around.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" She said slightly annoyed. He held up a piece of paper.

"Call me sometime wench." He smirked and let her go, handing her the piece of paper.

"Thanks…bye." She mumbled, turning around and walking away.

_He keeps calling me wench…_

_She keeps calling me puppy dog…_


	4. Tennessee

**Hi there readers :D I am back with a new chapter! Please read and review! Constructive criticism is more than welcome! But please, no flames!**

***DISCLAIMER* I do NOT own Inuyasha, or any of the characters, movies, episodes, etc.**

**On with the chapter then! :P**

_Hang up that red dress_

_Let down your hair_

_Cancel those reservations_

_There's no need to go nowhere._

"AGHH!" Kagome ripped through her bedroom trying to find her cell phone that was currently ringing. "AH HAH!" She found it in her dance bag.

"H-hello?" She asked.

"_Kagome? It's Inuyasha." _Kagome's eye opened wide.

"Oh, hi I-Inuyasha! Is there s-something you n-need?" She mentally smacked herself, why was she stuttering?

"_I was just wondering if you were free for two weeks? After this Friday." _Kagome thought for a minute before replying.

"Uh well other than work, no I'm not. Why do you ask?"

"_Do you think…that…you could take off work for a vacation?" _Kagome's eyes went wide again.

"Yeah I probably could, what's the occasion?" She was curious.

"_Well I have a flight to leave for Tennessee and I wanted to know if you'd like to come along?"_ Kagome clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming in joy.

"Oh Inuyasha I'd love to! But…I don't have enough money for a plane ticket." She frowned.

"_I can pay for it, all you have to do is bring the essentials, including your dance clothes. I'll meet you at the airport this Saturday at 11:00 AM. The plane takes off at 1:45, but it's always best to be there early to get through all the security systems without any hold-up. So what do you say?" _He sounded very hopeful. Kagome couldn't resist it.

"I say…See you at the airport!" And at that they said their goodbyes and hung up. Kagome immediately called Kaede and asked her about the two weeks off, telling her the truth. Kaede immediately said yes, telling Kagome it was a "vacation she overly deserved." _Now to tell Mom…_

~O.O~O.O~

"Hey Mom?" Kagome walked into the kitchen where her mother was washing some dishes. She paused and looked at Kagome with a smile.

"Yes honey?" She said sweetly.

"I hope you don't mind…but I took two weeks off of work and I'm going on a vacation to Tennessee…don't worry the person I'm going with already said they would pay for it, all I had to do was show up with my suitcase. I'm leaving this Saturday at 10:30 AM to meet them at the airport, then our flight leaves at 1:45. I just wanted to tell you that so you didn't get overly-concerned." There was a pregnant pause before her mother spoke.

"Sweetie I don't mind you going, just as long as you are careful!" Kagome nodded and started to leave, but her mother stopped her again. "Kagome? Do you mind if I help you pack?" Kagome looked at her a little confused but nodded anyways. And together, they walked up to Kagome's room and began to pack her big suitcase.

~O.O~O.O~

"Where is she?" Inuyasha let out a frustrated sigh, looking around the front doors to the airport for Kagome. He glanced at his watch…it read 11:10 AM.

"Inuyasha!" He turned to where the voice came from and saw Kagome running towards him with her suitcase rolling behind her.

"You're late." He said bluntly.

"Oh wow a whole ten minutes!" She put her hands on her hips glared at him. He smirked at her facial expression.

"C'mon, let's get this stuff done." Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's bag, ignoring her protests on letting her carry it. She sighed in defeat, and they began their walk to the bag checkers and whatnot.

~O.O~O.O~

Kagome was BORED. She had been sitting in the plane for 2 and a half hours, with only an hour and 15 minutes left. Inuyasha glanced over at her every now and then.

"Inuyasha?" She said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"How come you invited me?" Crap. He was hoping she wouldn't ask him this.

"Well to be honest, I thought you deserved it after punching Kikyo and dealing with her the way you did." It wasn't a total lie, he LOVED the fact that she punched Kikyo…but there were other reasons he invited her.

"Oh…let's talk about something I am so BORED!" She added emphasis to the ending of her sentence. Inuyasha couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright we'll talk. What do you want to talk about?" He asked her with a smirk. She tapped her chin and thought for a moment.

"Ooh I know! Tell me about your hometown and family!" She pouted at him so he wouldn't say no. Sighing, he thought for a moment then began talking.

"Well, I was born in a smalltown near the edge of Tennessee. There is a lot of plains and mountains. It's beautiful. My parents owned a few acres of land just for the hell of it. They had a lot of money…still do. Anyways, it was me, my Mom, Dad, and my brother Sesshomaru. My Mom is a really kind, beautiful human woman. She's always been there for me when I need her most. My Dad's a dog demon, but is a very good-natured man. He's a funny old guy, that's for sure. Sesshomaru…he and I have never been on the best terms, but we got each other's back. He's also a full-blooded dog demon. We're an interesting family." He smiled as he thought about going back home to visit. Kagome looked at him in awe. He chuckled. "What about you? Tell me about YOUR hometown and family." Kagome looked at him and shook her head.

"I'd rather not…" She sunk in her seat as her frowned at her.

"Why not? I told you about me, so you tell me about you!" He pouted at her, just like she had him. She sighed and nodded.

"I was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania. I live with my Mom, brother, and Grandpa. My Mom looks a lot like me. She's is really sweet and an amazing cook. My brother Souta is a funny kid. He loves video games and tormenting me, but he is very protective of me. My Grandpa is a real nutcase. There isn't really any way to describe him other than that he loves history. We don't have a lot, but we get by. As long as we have each other we're happy." He nodded, but then noticed something.

"What about your Dad?" Kagome visibly flinched at the thought of her Dad. Inuyasha immediately noticed the sadness radiating off her, knowing he hit a soft spot.

"Uh well…my Dad…he passed away when I was 11. It was really sudden, none of us were expecting it. Me, Mom, and Dad were all sitting in the kitchen laughing. All of a sudden…Dad fell over and stopped breathing. I didn't know what was happening, but my Mom called 911. The ambulance came and tried to save him, rushing him to the hospital. My brother and Grandpa were at the store when it happened. We all went to the hospital, and my Mom talked to the doctor. She was crying…she came out in the waiting room and told us that he'd had a heart attack and didn't make it. Everybody broke into tears, except me. I didn't know what to think. I didn't want to believe it. I stood up and ran, following the doctor who told my Mom the bad news. I found him talking to a nurse. I ran up to him and started asking why he said that and why he was lying. I begged him to let me see my Dad, and he gave in. He led me to a room and allowed me to go in. And then I saw him. My Dad…he was pale and his eyes were closed. His chest wasn't moving, and the equipment was being pulled away from him. I walked up to him and touched his hand. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out of the room…I didn't know what else to do." Inuyasha felt horrible. He didn't know how to react to that. Having to witness something like that at such a young age is horrible. He was snapped out of his thoughts when she began to talk again.

"You know what's weird? After all these years and even in the hospital…I haven't cried about him once. I'm not sure if that makes me a bad person with too much pride or a strong person who couldn't find it in themselves to cry." She gave him a half smile.

"Kagome…I'm so sorry. I didn't know-" She cut him off.

"Inuyasha I don't want your pity. It's really no big deal." No big deal? How could she say that? He just nodded and kept his thoughts to himself. The rest of the flight went in a comfortable silence, until they landed on the runway and got off the plane.

~O.O~O.O~

"INUYASHA YOU'RE HOME!" A voice yelled from a large ranch house. They had arrived at Inuyasha's childhood home.

"Hi Mom." He smiled and hugged her as she jumped on him. When she finally let him go, his Dad and brother had come out to greet him and Kagome.

"How's my youngest been?" His Dad said, with a booming voice.

Inuyasha chuckled. "Just fine, old man." He then turned towards Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru." He held out his hand to his older brother.

"Inuyasha." His brother replied, shaking his hand. Then his Mom cleared her throat.

"Honey, who is this pretty young thing?" She said very kindly, making Kagome blush.

"Oh right! Mom, Dad, Sesshomaru…this is Kagome Higurashi. She's a teacher at a dance studio in Erie. Kagome…this is my Mom, Izayoi. My Dad, Inutaisho. And my brother, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha gestured towards his family.

Kagome smiled and blushed. "It's nice to meet all of you." Izayoi walked up and hugged her.

"Any girl of Inuyasha's is always welcome! Other than that Kikyo girl." Kagome tried her hardest not to laugh at what Inutaisho said. Inuyasha just groaned in embarrassment.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Ms. Higurashi." Sesshomaru bowed at her, making her blush.

"Thank you, and please call me Kagome." He smirked and nodded.

"Shall we?" Inuyasha offered her his arm, which she took and smiled.

"Inuyasha your house is…I'd say amazing but that would be an understatement.!" He laughed at her glee. She had to admit, the house was big…but it wasn't too big. It was cozy. The ranch house had two floors plus a basement. The bottom level had a big kitchen, dining hall, den, living room, a ball room, and two bathrooms. Inuyasha then led her to the second level. On this level was all the bedrooms…which was 8 in total. Each bedroom had its own bathroom. All the bedrooms had their own theme.

"Alright Kagome here is your room. Once you unpack and everything then I'll show you the basement and the rest of ranch." She looked at her room in shock. It was gorgeous! The walls were a warm light green color. There was hardwood floors. Her furniture consisted of a dresser, vanity, bed, two night stands, and a desk. The bed spread was a blue and brown combo, with lotus flowers all over it. Everything was perfect. "Kagome do you like the room?" Kagome nodded in thanks to Inuyasha. Once he left she began unpacking. She couldn't help but laugh.

"I guess it was a good thing Mom helped me pack." She looked at her outfits, they all were very comfy and simple. She had tank tops, jeans, jean shorts, cowgirl boots, plaid shirts, her dance clothes…yeah, she was good to go. Once she finished packing she walked downstairs to the kitchen. Izayoi noticed her walk in.

"Hi dear, I hope the room is to your liking?" She smiled.

"Oh yes it is! Thanks for letting me stay here, by the way. I don't wanna impose." Izayoi laughed and walked over to her.

"Oh please you are not imposing! Come sit down, would you like anything to eat?" She led Kagome to a bar and had her sit down.

"Well if you don't mind…could I have some eggs?" She smiled shyly at Izayoi.

"Sure! No trouble at all!" Kagome smiled and thanked her.

"Ah there she is! Ms. Higurashi is it?" Inutaisho walked over and stood beside her.

"Hello Mr. Takahashi. Please, call me Kagome." She smiled and he chuckled.

"Very well, Kagome then! How was the flight?"

"It was boring. We talked and got to know each other more. Talked about our families and homes." She started playing with her locket.

"Here you go dear." Izayoi put the eggs in front of Kagome.

"Thank you Mrs. Takahashi."

"Kagome please! Call me Izayoi, and call him Inutaisho!" She grinned and Kagome nodded, trying to hide her blush. When she finished her eggs she got up and went to look for Inuyasha.

"Where could he have gotten?" She whispered to herself.

"I'm right here." Kagome jumped ten feet and turned around to yell at whoever scared her.

"Inuyasha! Don't sneak up on me like that!" She punched his arm.

"Kagome that hurt me deep." He gave her a sad look and a mock-hurt voice. She glared daggers at him.

"Oh shut up! Are you going to show me the rest of the house?" He nodded and signaled for her to follow him. When they reached the basement Kagome blinked a couple times to make sure she was seeing things correctly.

"What kind of basement is this?" She looked around and saw all kinds of dance equipment, plus a gym.

"Well when I get bored I come down here and work out. And the dance stuff I use whenever I'm practicing for a competition." He shrugged and leaned against the door frame.

"Wow…lucky! If I want to practice dancing I go to the studio." She giggled at herself. "So…can I see the rest?" He nodded and she began following him again. The outside was beautiful…breathtaking is more like it. They were standing on the front porch, where there was a porch swing and a few rocking chairs. When they walked around to the back of the house she noticed a big hot tub, a grill, swimming pool, and a few picnic tables.

"Inuyasha this is so cool." She looked at him and smiled.

"Yeah, I love it when I get the chance to come home." He sighed in content.

"It's understandable. I mean you are al-" Kagome was cut off by someone shouting what sounded like "PERVERT!" Kagome looked at Inuyasha and he burst into laughter.

"Come on, I want you to meet some people." She nodded, but was totally confused. He grabbed her hand and they ran towards a shed where gardening tools and other things were kept. Pushing the door open, Kagome saw a man lying on the floor, and a girl who looked ready to kill.

"Kagome, that girl is Sango. The guy who is knocked out…that would be the world's worst pervert, Miroku." Sango immediately turned her gaze at Inuyasha and Kagome. She smiled brightly.

"Inuyasha! We've missed you!" She ran up and hugged him.

"I missed you too, Sango." Kagome noticed the man, Miroku, slowly getting off the floor and rubbing his cheek.

"Serves you right pervert!" Sango turned her attention towards Kagome.

"Hi there! I'm Sango." She hugged hugged Kagome, making her blush.

"Umm…I'm Kagome." She smiled…here comes the shyness.

"Ah hello there, my dear!" Miroku walked over to Kagome and grabbed her hands. "What a beautiful young woman! Would you consider bearing my child?" Kagome's eye twitched and her face turned a nice shade of scarlet. In two seconds flat, Miroku was out cold again and now Kagome was fuming.

"Oh yeah Inuyasha. This one is a keeper!" Sango put her arm over Kagome's shoulder. "You and me are going to be best friends, I can see it already!" Kagome laughed and nodded her head. Inuyasha helped Miroku off the floor.

"Miroku you'll never learn, will you?" Miroku gave him a goofy grin.

"I cannot help it! This damned hand is cursed I tell you!" He held his hands up in defense.

"C'mon Kagome. How do you feel about a nice swim?" Sango asked Kagome, while they walked out…leaving the guys behind.

"Sure! I could definitely use a splash of cold water to wake me up!" Kagome smiled, then turned to look at the guys.

"Well come on slowpokes!" She yelled at them. Kagome whispered something in Sango's ear, then looked at the guys.

"Last one to change and get in the pool has to run around the ranch naked!" With that, Kagome and Sango bolted for the house. It took a minute for the guys to register before they looked at each other and started running as if their life depended on it. Kagome and Sango ran into Kagome's room and got changed as quickly as possible, then ran for the back door.

"C'mon Sango hurry they can't win!" Sango nodded and started running faster. The guys were just coming out of their room and noticed the girls jumping down the stairs.

"Hey! Miroku grab them!" The girls screamed and ran faster for the back door, located in the kitchen. Kagome turned her head and noticed the guys hot on their tail. She looked at the door and saw Sango had ran past her and opened it. Kagome bolted and ran through it. They tried shutting it but the guys were too close. Instead they turn and ran down more steps towards the pool. Kagome saw Sango closer to the end of the stairs than her. She looked down and saw the pool right below her, so she made hasty decision. Looking back one more time she saw the guys getting close, and fast. She got up on the railing of the stairs, took a deep breath, and dived right off it and into the pool, feeling the water wrap around her.

"Did she just jump off the railing?" Inuyasha couldn't believe it.

"Uh…yes. Yes she did…damn." Miroku was flabbergasted. Sango took advantage of the moment and jumped in after Kagome. When they both came up for air they started laughing and high-fived each other.

"Well boys it looks like you lose. Hope you're ready to run around the ranch naked!" Kagome couldn't stop laughing. Sango just winked at them.

"That is NOT fair! You guys cheated!" Inuyasha yelled from the stairs.

"Yeah! You shouldn't be allowed jumping off the rail like that! It's too high up you could've gotten hurt!" Miroku's face was deep red from embarrassment.

"Really? I didn't see that in the rule book. Did you, Kagome?" Kagome shook her head no and kept laughing. Then an idea popped in Miroku's head. He looked at Inuyasha and whispered something in his ear. They both looked at the girls and gave them evil grins.

"Um Sango?" Kagome noticed the guys looking at them evilly.

"Yeah Kagome?" She turned and looked at the guys.

"I think now would be a good time to get out of the pool and RUN!" They both nodded and started swimming towards the edge.

"ATTACK!" Miroku yelled, and he and Inuyasha jumped off the railing and headed for the girls. Sango got out first and tried to help Kagome out, but they were too slow.

"Ahhh Sango HELP!" She felt strong arms grab her legs while Sango was pulling her arms.

"Hang on Kagome!" Kagome looked to see who had grabbed her.

"Inuyasha let me go now or you'll regret it!" Inuyasha laughed and kept pulling.

"Seriously you guys? I'm not a freaking toy! Stop playing tug of war!" Kagome yelled. She noticed Miroku sneaking up behind Sango.

"SANGO LOOK OUT!" Too late. Miroku grabbed Sango and dragged her off, leaving Kagome with Inuyasha. She turned and saw his evil grin. Her brows furrowed.

"Inuyasha you have exactly three seconds to let me go!" He didn't let go, needless to say. No matter how much she hit him and tried to escape, it just wasn't happening. She sighed in defeat.

"So now what was you guy's plan?" She crossed her arms. He chuckled, and before she knew it he'd thrown her over his shoulder.

"INUYASHA PUT ME DOWN NOW!" She started pounding her fists into his back and kicking her legs.

"Sorry. No can do, wench." That made her stop, and her eyebrow twitched.

"I am NOT a WENCH!" She screeched, making Inuyasha flinch from his sensitive ears.

"Geez you don't have to yell!" He rubbed his ears with his free hand.

"I'll yell as much as I want to until you tell me your plan and let me GO!" She started pounding on his back again. He growled at her, but she wouldn't stop.

"Alright alright! Miroku figured we'd get payback. Yes we'll run around the ranch naked…but you guys are gonna have to run from us. If we tackle you, you have to scream 'Inuyasha / Miroku is the hottest guy in the world.' But if you make it to the base without us catching you, then Miroku and I have to do whatever you guys say for the rest of the day. Understand?" Kagome was dumbfounded.

"Where is base?" She whispered.

"It's in the shed where Miroku and Sango were earlier." She nodded and then laughed.

"You know something? It's funny that you're 20 years old, a professional dancer, have a big house and lots of money, yet here you are acting like a teenager with no manners!" Inuyasha laughed, she had a point. When he came home, everything about work was behind him so he could have some freedom.

"Yeah I know, I like to get in as much fun as possible when I'm home…cause when I leave I never know how long it'll be until I come back." Kagome realized that they were no longer in the pool, but were walking around…well, he was walking. She was over his shoulder.

"Inuyasha…can you please put me down?" She begged. He sighed and set her down.

"I never realized this, but you are really freaking tall!" Inuyasha just laughed. He was indeed a lot taller than her. She looked about 5' 4"…while he was 6'6".

"C'mon, let's go find Miroku and Sango before she murders him." Inuyasha nodded and they began to search for the others.

_Oh yes…this game is going to be very, very fun._


	5. The Game and Memories

**Hellooo my darlings :D Here is the new chapter!**

***DISCLAIMER* I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of that jazz. Hopefully that covers it! :p**

**On to the story!**

~O.O~O.O~

Kagome and Sango were sitting in Kagome's room. They had just finished supper. Kagome glanced at her clock…it read 8:45 PM.

"So did Miroku tell you him and Inuyasha's little scheme?" Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sano groaned. "Ugh yes! Do you really think we can outrun them? Especially in the pitch black? Inuyasha is a half-demon! He'll still be able to see!" Sango was panicking a little.

"Sango chill! We are going to win this thing! All we have to do is get to the shed before they catch us with their…naked…b-bodies." Kagome shuddered and Sango sighed.

"Well we got fifteen minutes before this little race begins, let's plot." Kagome got an evil look on her face, making Sango very interested.

"I'll admit we're at a disadvantage towards them. They are bigger, possibly faster, and Inuyasha can still see or even sniff us out! But we have something they don't…brains and perfume." Sango got an evil grin when Kagome finished talking. Oh yes, they were going to do whatever it took to win this.

~O.O~O.O~

Sango and Kagome listened for the guys to leave before they left the bedroom. They had taken a bunch of Sango's, Izayoi's, and even Sesshomaru's perfume/cologne and literally were drenched in odd scents. They decided that the best shoes to wear would be ballet flats so that they could run more quietly. They even talked to Inutaisho and got plans for all the land so they could find the quickest and quietest way to the shed. Oh yes, they were very prepared. Who knew women could work quickly under pressure?

"You ready Sango?" Sango nodded and they slowly left the bedroom. This was it, no turning back. They were both wearing all black and had their hair up in tight ponytails. After checking both ends of the hall, they began their descent down the stairs…very, very quietly.

"Kagome, you check the ball room. I'll check the dining hall. We'll meet back in the den." Sango whispered, and Kagome nodded. They began heading towards the designated rooms. It was funny because they had belts on holding a bunch of perfume bottles, with one big bottle armed and ready to spray.

Kagome walked into the ball room and glanced around the empty space, the only sign of light being the half moon. She took a few steps inside and didn't see anything. _Nobody in here…so far so good. Better go find Sango._

Sango was wandering around the dining hall ever-so quiet, her perfume armed and ready. She stood quiet for a second, listening for anything that may hint the guys being around. She began walking around again, looking under the large table and behind every piece of furniture. _Nothing here…might as well go and get Kagome._

"Sango? Is that you?" Kagome saw a black figure in the den, but wasn't sure if it was Sango or one of the boys.

"Sango if that's you please tell me." Her heart raced a little. Why wasn't she answering?

"Kagome?" Kagome jumped and turned around to see Sango.

"Sango? I thought you were over there." Kagome pointed her thumb behind her. Sango gave her a confused look.

"Kagome nobody is there." Kagome lost all color to her face at that moment.

"Sango let's get out of here the guys may be in here." Sango nodded in agreement and they headed for the back doors. Kagome froze in her place, making Sango give her an odd look.

"Kagome you okay?" Sango walked back towards her.

"Sango, maybe we should take the front doors. The guys could be waiting for us out back." Kagome rubbed the back of her neck.

"No I highly doubt it. We're already here. Let's just go now, we're wasting time." Kagome hesitated before following Sango to the back doors. They slid the door open as quietly as possible. Kagome peeked her head outside and glanced around, searching for any signs of movement. She nodded to Sango, and they began walking towards the next flight of stairs.

"Sango you don't suppose they may be under the stairs waiting?" Sango froze, that never crossed either of their minds.

"I'm not sure, but have your perfume ready." They nodded and began down the stairs. They reached the bottom without trouble, and let out the breaths they'd been holding. Big mistake.

"SNEAK ATTACK!" Sango and Kagome stiffened as they recognized Miroku's voice from behind them. Turning around they sprayed perfume in his face, causing him to yell in surprise and possibly pain…they got him in the eyes.

"Sango run!" They bolted in the direction towards the shed, only to be stopped by a completely naked hanyou.

"AGH MY EYES!" Miroku kept yelling, trying to catch up. They hadn't even noticed he was naked, as well.

"Kagome! Perfume in eyes and nose! NOW!" She nodded and ran up to the nude hanyou, spraying his face with a bad-smelling cologne.

"Ugh that is DISGUSTING!" He yelled trying to get the smell out of his nose…obviously not working.

"Let's move Sango!" They began their run again, glancing back at the guys starting after them.

"Kagome open a bottle of perfume and dump it on your clothes!" Sango instructed, and Kagome did so. Sango did the same, and they kept running.

"Sango we gotta split up if we wanna win this! Keep dousing yourself in the nasty scents and we may win!" Sango nodded and took off near some trees, leaving Kagome in the open. She glanced back and saw the guys stop for a moment. Inuyasha sniffed the air and turned his head in two directions…one Kagome's direction and the other Sango's. _Shit!_ That was her only thought before she opened up another bottle of perfume and dumped it on herself.

"Miroku go that way and I'll go this way!" She heard Inuyasha yell. Deciding it was time to depart her hiding spot, she ran for some woods. Once she reached them, she ran and jumped over roots and fallen tree limbs. What she came across was the last thing she expected. _A pond…_She glanced back at the direction she had come and listened closely for any signs of her being followed. Sure enough, she heard somebody running her direction. _Here goes nothing!_ And she waded into the water and ducked her head under.

When she finally came up for air, she realized she was still alone. She looked around looking for anything to hide behind, and there sat a big rock. Swimming towards it, she leaned against it and breathed deeply.

"Oi, wench! Where did you go!" She froze at the sound of Inuyasha's voice. Glancing from the safety of her rock, sure enough, there he stood…in all his -ahem- glory. She tried to make her breathing as silent as possible.

I'm gonna find you! I know you're around here somewhere…it would be pretty bad if you were in that pond. I could swim out and get you." He smirked, looking around the water for any signs of the water being disturbed. And there it was, behind that rock. The water made the smallest waves, but that was enough for him to dive in.

"SHIT!" Kagome screamed as she swam towards the shore. Inuyasha came up for air, and swam to the rock…only to find nothing. He turned around and saw Kagome almost to the shore.

"Oh no you don't!" He began swimming towards the shore. She screeched and swam faster. Finally reaching the edge, she ran out, her body soaking wet. She didn't care though, right now she just had to get to that shed!

"You'll never catch me!" She yelled back as she ran through the woods again. Inuyasha was hot on her tail. When she reached the end of the woods again, she saw Sango running for dear life with Miroku chasing after her.

"SANGO! Time for plan B!" Kagome screamed and Sango nodded her direction. They both started grabbing perfume bottles, twisting off the caps and throwing them at the guys; getting perfume and cologne all over them.

"UGH! This stuff stinks!" Miroku yelled.

"You think I don't know that!" Inuyasha screamed. This, was war.

"Kagome we might just win this! We're almost to the shed!" Sango yelled. Both of them kept running, their legs shaking and lungs about to burst…but they weren't going to give up that easily. When the shed finally came into view, they screamed in joy and ran harder, if it were even possible. Something crossed Kagome's mind and her face went pale.

"Hey Sango?"

"Yeah?"

"I think we were tricked…this seems way too easy!" Sango paled when Kagome finished, and they shot each other terrified faces. They looked back at the shed, only to see both Miroku and Inuyasha standing in the doorway…in that short time they were somehow able to get dressed.

"You finally caught on huh?" Inuyasha smirked, showing a fang.

"Just because we're guys doesn't mean we have no brains." Miroku said matter-of-factly. Before the girls could do anything the guys bolted towards them. Miroku grabbed Sango and threw her over his shoulder.

"MIROKU PUT ME DOWN NOW! Unless you have a DEATH WISH!" She yelled, pounding her fists into his back. He just laughed.

"My dear Sango, why would I do such a thing? And death cannot be awful if it is by your hands." Sango's face went ten different shades of red.

Kagome still hadn't been caught, but Inuyasha wasn't about to let her win. He knew she wouldn't be able to run much longer, so he'd just keep chasing her until her legs gave out. Sure enough, Kagome tripped. Attempting to get her balance, she threw her other leg in front of her to keep running, which was a mistake. She ended up falling, and rolling down a small hill; her body obviously not going to stop. Kagome yelped when she stopped suddenly. She glanced up, only to see Inuyasha holding her bridal-style.

"Um..thanks. You can put me down now…" Her face was turning pink.

"Not gonna happen. You gotta say it." That didn't help her blush. She shook her head 'no.'

"Best to do it and get it over with." He smirked when she sighed.

"Fine! Inuyasha is the hottest person in the world! Happy now?" She crossed her arms…he was still holding her. He laughed, causing her blush to just deepen even more.

"You can put me down now…" Inuyasha looked down at her, his gorgeous amber eyes looking into her chocolate ones. Sighing, he set her on her feet.

"Should we go look for Sango and Miroku?" Kagome asked, Inuyasha laughed.

"No. They're probably making out or something." Kagome's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "You didn't know?" He asked her. "They're dating, been for over a year now. I know they don't seem like it…but they're just rough around the edges." Kagome was still shocked. She couldn't help but giggle at the irony. Inuyasha looked at her with an amazed look. _She's so cute…so different from Kikyo. Kagome is…natural. Kikyo was fake in every way possible, hiding her flaws. Kagome just seems to express them. I admire her for it._

"Inuyasha? Why are you looking at me like that?" She waved her hand in front of him to snap him out of his trance. Didn't work. She thought for a moment, then glanced at his head; an evil grin appearing on her face.

"Oi!" He felt a pair hands start playing with his ears. "Wench! What are you doing?" He swatted her hands away, and she just laughed.

"Well you wouldn't snap out of your daze, so I had to do SOMETHING to get your attention!" She turned and started walking in the direction of the house. Inuyasha sighed and began following her.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?" She glanced at Inuyasha raising an eyebrow.

"Take a shower. You stink." Her brows furrowed and she punched him as hard as she could. He laughed and started jogging away.

"Take that back puppy dog!" She yelled, chasing after him.

"Never!" She laughed and kept chasing him.

_This two weeks is going to be fun._

~O.O~O.O~

(A/N: I almost cut it off here…but I found the chapter to be too short. So here is MORE!)

Kagome opened her heavy eyelids. The sun was pouring into her room. She glanced at her alarm clock. It was 7:06 AM. She groaned and sat up, stretching her arms over her head. _I'm probably the only one up so far. Might as well get a shower._ Getting out of bed, she wondered into the bathroom and started the shower. She started humming the tune to "On a night like this" by Dave Barnes. (A/N: GOOD SONG!)

Hopping out of the shower, towel wrapped around her; she walked back into her room and to the dresser. She stopped for a minute and got out some dance clothes instead. Wearing a navy blue leotard and black shorts, with a pair of dance shoes and some CD's in hand; she headed for the basement.

"Hmm…which one? Dean Martin? No I listened to that too many times…Yiruma? Yeah that sounds good." She walked over to the big stereo on one side of the 'miniature' dance studio and put in her CD. Hitting the 'PLAY' button, she walked over and faced the large wall that was basically one long mirror. When the piano began to flow through the room, she began to dance.

~O.O~O.O~

Inuyasha yawned and sat up in his bed, glancing at the alarm clock, reading it was 9:15 AM. He figured he'd get a quick shower then go wake up Kagome. Climbing in the shower, he stood there allowing the hot water to hit his back. He couldn't stop thinking about last night. Sighing, he climbed out and walked over to his closet; grabbing the first thing he saw. Once he was dressed, he opened his bedroom door and walked into the hall. He froze, his ears swiveling towards the stairs. _Is that music?_ He started walking down the stairs that led to the den, then headed for the other ones leading to the basement. He took a breath, then realized who it was. Only one person smelled so wonderful. _Kagome…_ He kept walking until he reached the dancing room.

"Kagome are you in-" He stopped mid-sentence at the sight before him. There was Kagome, dancing. He just stared at her in awe. She glided and twirled, letting the music flow through her. Something looked different about her…she seemed…taller? Inuyasha looked at her feet and knew why. _She dances en pointe, too? I didn't know that._ He kept looking at her graceful movements, completely mesmerized by the simplicity of her motions but looking beautiful. So carefree…so happy! So…

"Beautiful…" He whispered to himself…but Kagome heard him and turned towards the door.

"Inuyasha! H-hi! How long have you been standing there?" Her face was getting redder by the second. Inuyasha started to blush a little, as well.

"Oh umm…just a few minutes." He rubbed the back of his neck and let his gaze wander around the room. Her face was pale.

"You…you mean you saw that?" She said, slightly above a whisper. He nodded. "I know it wasn't that good…I'm just practicing." Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"Not that good? Are you crazy! That was amazing!" Oops. He mentally smacked himself for seeming to…desperate. Her face lit up, a sparkle in her eyes.

"Really? You think so?" She gave him a smile, causing him to blush.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't you be good? You said you've been dancing for eleven years. It's paid off, that's for sure." He gave her a shy smile. Now there was an awkward silence, until Inuyasha decided to speak up.

"So what was that music you were listening to? I could tell it wasn't your usual Dean Martin." She giggled at him.

"It's Yiruma. The song is called 'Time Forgets,' it's one of my favorites." She started playing with her locket, thinking about a memory of her Dad.

_FLASHBACK_

_Kagome and her Father were in the living room playing._

"_Kagome sweetie?" Her Dad said. Little eight year-old Kagome looked up at her Dad._

"_Yeah Daddy?"_

"_Would like to listen to some tunes?" Kagome giggled. She loved the way her Father called music "tunes." She shook her head 'yes.' He grinned and walked over to the CD player. Soon, the piano playing of Yiruma filled their small living room._

"_May I have this dance?" Her Dad asked, holding his hand out to his daughter. She grinned from ear to ear and nodded._

"_Show me what Ms. Kaede has been teaching you!" He said happily._

"_Okay Daddy! Here give me your hands!" Her Father did as she told him to, and soon enough, they were both dancing and laughing. Kagome's Father picked her up and spun her in circles._

"_Haha Daddy stop you're making me dizzy!" She laughed at her Dad. He smiled at his daughter. His daughter. Kagome. His Kagome._

"_I love you Kagome." He hugged her tight._

"_I love you too Daddy." She hugged him back and smiled._

_END FLASHBACK_

"Kagome? Hello? You okay?" Inuyasha waved his hand in front of Kagome's face. She didn't budge. Inuyasha noticed her playing with the piece of silver around her neck. He gently touched her shoulder, making her jump.

"What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You spaced out. Are you okay? You kept playing with your locket and you looked like your mind was in another world." She blushed as he said this. _In a way, I kind of was…_ She sighed and smiled.

"Yepp I'm fine! Let's go get something to eat I'm starving!" She pulled off her shoes and began walking away.

"Kagome…don't lie to me. I can tell when you're lying." She froze. _Damn those youkai senses!_

"Inuyasha really I'm fine. I'm just hungry!" She smiled and looked at him. His arms were crossed over his chest and his facial expression said he wasn't giving up. She sighed and looked him straight in the eye.

"I was just thinking about my Dad again, okay? Happy?" His arms dropped and he took a step towards her. "Inuyasha…what are you do-" She was cut off by him pulling her into a hug. She stood there, totally confused.

"I'm sorry that you lost your father. I wish I could help but I can't." He whispered, his chin on her head. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Inuyasha…don't be sorry. It's nothing you could control. You weren't there." She heard him growl. What did she say?

"Kagome I promise…I promise to protect you. So you'll never have to be in pain again-physical or emotional." Her eyes grew wide. Had she heard him right? Was what she just heard her imagination? She pulled back from him and looked at his face. His expression was soft and caring, but serious and worried.

"Inuyasha I…thank you." She gave him a soft smile, and he pulled her back into the hug…never wanting to let go. He'd never say it though. He knew she would be disgusted by the idea of being with a hanyou.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered.

"Yeah Kagome?" She pulled back and looked at him, smiling. She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you. I mean it." She gave him another hug then headed for the stairs. He stood there, totally shocked that she just kissed him. Even if it was just his cheek, his heart was racing. He touched his cheek with a clawed hand, a small smile appearing on his lips.

~O.O~O.O~

**Another chapter DONE! Woohoo :D Soo…how was it? Did you guys like it? Please review so I know how I'm doing! Oh and here is something I want you guy's, the reviewers, opinions on…my cousin and a couple of my friends that read my stories were asking me if I was going to add a LEMON to this story. And it doesn't seem like such a bad idea…grant it that reading lemons and writing lemons are two totally different things. But honestly, what do you guys think? If you think a lemon or two would be a good idea for the story, please review and let me know! With that said…**

**I shall see you soon!**

**taylorcatherine**


	6. Unshed Tears

HI READERS! So here I am! Back again, with another new chapter! :D Read and review! Oh and another thing; I'm just saying this before somebody does…this story is very random! That is just how I am. It's a little odd seeing everything put together, like ballroom dancing, a ranch…and in this chapter? Music. :P If you haven't figured it out yet, this story is going to have a lot to do with I guess you could say "fine arts." When I say this I mean things such as dancing, singing, painting, writing, etc. I'm a bit of an art freak :P ANYHOO on with the chapter! :D

***DISCLAIMER*** Inuyasha ain't mine.

Enjoy loves!

~O.O~O.O~

Sango picked up her guitar and put the strap over the shoulder, walking out of the house and onto the porch. She felt like playing, maybe even a song or two? She was just tuning it whenever Kagome walked outside with some lemonade.

"Hey Sango! I brought you some lemonade since it's so hot out." Kagome smiled and Sango smiled back.

"Thanks Kagome." She took a glass and took a drink. Kagome nodded and turned to walk away, leaving Sango to her guitar. Sango looked at Kagome's retreating form, then at the papers beside her.

"Kagome?" She stopped in her tracks.

"Hmm?" She turned slightly so she could see Sango.

"Can you sing? I have a song I wanted to practice but it's a female duet." Sango gave her a pleading look. Kagome hesitated.

"I don't know…I've never really sang in front of anybody but…" She stopped mid-sentence and gripped her locket.

"Please? Here I have the lyrics written down, so you'll be able to sing along. Trust me, you'll know when to start singing your part." Kagome sighed and walked over to Sango. She sat down on the floor and took the piece of paper and looked over it."Okay Sango, whenever you're ready." Sango nodded, finishing her tuning.

"Alrighty Kagome! Here's how this'll work, I'll start. You follow along in the lyrics and once the chorus starts, start singing. Then you sing the second verse on your own. Then it'll all come easily, I promise." Kagome nodded signaling she understood. With that, Sango started playing her guitar, letting the lyrics flow out of her.

**_Sango: _**

_I__ am moving through the crowd…_

_Tryin' to find myself..._

_Feel like a guitar that's never played…_

_Will someone strum away?_

**_Together: _**

_And I ask myself…_

_Who do I wanna be?_

**_Sango:_**

_Do I wanna throw away the key?_

_And invent a whole new me?_

_And I tell myself…_

**_Together:_**

_No one…_

_No one…_

_Don't wanna be,_

_No one…_

_But me._

Sango nodded towards Kagome telling her it was her turn. She took a deep breath and started singing.

**_Kagome:_**

_You are moving through the crowd…_

_Tryin' to find yourself..._

_Feelin' like a doll left on a shelf…_

_Will someone take you down?_

**_Together:_**

_And you ask yourself…_

_Who do I wanna be?_

**_Kagome:_**

_Do I wanna throw away the key?_

_And invent a whole me?_

_Gotta tell yourself…_

**_Together:_**

_No one…_

_No one…_

_Don't wanna be,_

_No one…_

_But me._

Inuyasha and Miroku were walking downstairs laughing about last night.

"It was great, man! I think we should have evil schemes more often!" Miroku said between laughs. Inuyasha nodded and chuckled, but stopped all of a sudden. Miroku gave him a confused look.

"What is it Inuyasha?" He said. Inuyasha held his finger to his lips telling him to be quiet and listen. Miroku listened and grinned. Inuyasha smirked and they walked to the front door. His suspicions were correct, there sat the two girls. One with a guitar, the other with a piece of paper.

**_Together:_**

_Your life plays out on the shadows of the wall..._

_You turn the light on to erase it all... _

_You wonder what it's like to not feel worthless..._

_So open all the blinds…_

_And all the curtains!_

_No one!_

_No one!_

_Don't wanna be,_

_No one…_

_But me._

**_Sango:_**

_We are moving through crowd…_

Kagome took a deep breath and smiled at Sango.

"That was amazing Sango!" Sango laughed and nodded. They both froze when they heard clapping. Glancing at the door, they saw Inuyasha and Miroku standing there with big, stupid grins.

"Were you guys eaves-dropping!" Sango yelled. Kagome's brow furrowed. The guys looked at each other, then faced the girls and nodded.

"Well stop!" Kagome yelled, her and Sango's faces going about ten shades of red.

"Hey we didn't say you guys sucked or anything!" Miroku countered.

"Yeah! You guys were really good…so don't yell at us!" Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. Kagome rolled her eyes and looked at Sango.

"Hey Sango?" Sango looked at Kagome.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go for a swim." Sango nodded. Kagome walked right by the guys and 'accidentally' bumped into Inuyasha. Sango followed suit, except hitting Miroku.

~O.O~O.O~

"Sango do the Takahashi's have any four-wheelers?" Kagome was wearing a green and white bikini with red stars on it. Sango thought for a moment.

"Yeah they do, in the back of the shed." Sango was wearing a blue and brown bikini with flowers. Kagome nodded. "Why do you ask?"Kagome shrugged.

"Last night when we were running around, Inuyasha and I found a big pond. And it's really well hidden, but it would be easier to get there on four-wheelers."

"Oh, well let's go to the shed, grab two ATV's. And then I'll follow if you show me the way to the pond." Kagome nodded in agreement, and they left the room for the shed.

With the guys:

"So Miroku…what did you and Sango do the other night after you caught her?" Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow. Miroku chuckled.

"That's for me to know and you to not find out." Inuyasha laughed. Miroku can be such an idiot sometimes, but the guy is his best friend.

"What about you and Kagome?" Inuyasha snorted.

"Nothing. She almost got away, but she lost her footing and fell. She started rolling down a hill but I caught her. It was interesting. After that we just walked back to the house." Miroku nodded. "But the next morning was really weird…" That caught Miroku's attention.

"Weird? What do you mean?" He asked. Inuyasha sighed.

"Well I woke up and heard music the next day. So I followed the sound and ended up in the dance studio in the basement. Kagome was thee listening to music and dancing. But not the ballroom stuff I saw her doing in Pennsylvania. This time she had ballet shoes on."

"Ballet shoes?" Miroku was a bit confused.

"Yeah, ballet shoes. You know, the ones with the really hard box that you stand on." Miroku made an 'o' face. "Anyways, she seemed even more beautiful than when she did the ballroom dancing. And then earlier with the singing…I'm telling ya, Miroku, that girl is good at everything." Miroku chuckled.

"Inuyasha, I believe you have quite the soft spot for Kagome." Inuyasha froze and growled at Miroku.

"Miroku…do you want to die?" Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and took a step towards Miroku.

"N-now Inuyasha, let's not get physical! Why don't we go join the girls for a swim? Oh yeah great idea! I'll go change. See ya in a few!" Miroku bolted upstairs to his room. Inuyasha stood there and shook his head. _Idiot…it's Sango's job to beat the shit outta him, not mine_. Sighing, he headed for his bedroom and threw on a pair of black and red swim trunks.

~O.O~O.O~

"Miroku! Let's go!" Inuyasha pounded on Miroku's door.

"I'm coming! Calm your hormones!" That earned Miroku a growl. Miroku opened his door and walked out in a pair of purple and black trunks. Together, they headed for the pool.

"Umm Inuyasha? The girls aren't in the pool." Miroku stated the obvious.

"No! Really?" Inuyasha hit Miroku on the back of the head.

"Well where would they have gone to swim? There isn't any other place beside the pool and hot tub." Miroku asked, looking around. Inuyasha was thinking, but hadn't the slightest clue. All of a sudden, they were snapped out of their thoughts by the sounds of motors running.

"Miroku you hear that?" Miroku nodded.

"Is that the ATV's?" Inuyasha shrugged, and they started running towards the shed. Before they made it half way two of the ATV's appeared from behind the shed, with Kagome and Sango driving them.

"Hey boys!" Sango yelled with a grin, and Kagome laughed. They rode over to the guys and stopped in front of them.

"Need a lift?" Kagome said to them, and they nodded. Miroku jumped on the back with Sango, and Inuyasha with Kagome.

"Kagome do you know how to drive these things?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome snorted.

"Have some faith Inuyasha. I'm from Pennsylvania, riding is what I love to do. Every summer I'd go to my friend's place. She lives in the country and we'd ride all the time." Kagome looked at him and smiled.

"Ready Kagome?" Sango said over the engine.

"Yepp! Just follow me!" Sango yelled 'okay' back, and they headed into the woods. Inuyasha had to admit, Kagome was very wild when driving the ATV; making jumps and doing wheelies…he liked this side of her, though he'd never admit it. He's noticed Kagome always seems a bit uptight, though he wasn't sure why. _It's like she keeps her heart locked in a box and the key has yet to be found… _He thought to himself.

"Hold on tight! Big bump coming up!" He held onto the bars behind him with one arm, the other around her waist. They hit the bump, hen went on their merry way towards the pond. About five or so minutes passed, and they reached the pond.

"Oh wow Kagome! This place is so nice!" Sango exclaimed, hopping off the ATV and stretching.

"I know, Inuyasha and I found it a few days ago when we were having that race." She laughed at the new memory…she would be taking a lot of good ones home with her when she left. Too bad she didn't know there would be a few bad ones, as well.

Inuyasha stepped off the ATV and leaned against it, crossing his arms. He had a lot on his agenda for the remaining week and a half that Kagome would be here. _Let's see here…_ He thought to himself. _We got here on Saturday…today is Tuesday…so we've been here for 3 days. That leaves me 11 more days with her, before she leaves again for Pennsylvania._ He was snapped out of his thoughts by his ears being touched, immediately knowing who it was.

"Wench, you know how irritating that gets?" He kept his eyes closed, hearing a giggle.

"Looks to me like you're enjoying it." Kagome said, not removing her hands. Letting out a small growl, he grabbed her wrists and opened his eyes.

"Does it still look like I'm enjoying it?" He put on his most serious face.

"No, because my hands aren't on your ears. Give it up, puppy dog, you looooove having your ears rubbed!" She put empashis on the word 'love.' He let out another growl.

"Inuyasha…I'm descended from a long line of miko's. Better watch yourself." He dropped her wrists immediately, not wanting to get purified. She winked and headed towards the water, where Miroku and Sango were already swimming around.

"Feh!" Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest again and continued to lean against the ATV. He kept thinking of what all he could do with Kagome before her departure.

~O.O~O.O~

The time was 1:48 AM. Kagome couldn't sleep. Whenever they had left the pond, she came back feeling extremely tired. Sadly, sleep never found her. Sighing, she rolled over and looked out the window. Deciding sleep wasn't going to happen anytime soon, she got out of bed and walked over to the window, looking as far as she could see. Silently, Kagome opened the window and climbed onto the rooftop…not noticing the pair of topaz eyes watching her.

**With Inuyasha**

The alarm clock read 1:53 AM. Inuyasha groaned and sat up, he was awoken by the sound of movement from the room adjacent to his. Sometimes he hated his sensitive hearing. He decided to go and see what the noise was. Crawling out of his bed, he walked out of his room and across the hall, quietly peeking into the room.

"Kagome?" he whispered to himself. He peered his head inside and looked around the room, just in time to see her crawling out the window. _What the hell is she doing? That's dangerous! _He sighed and walked towards the window, feeling the cool summer wind blow in.

**With Kagome and Inuyasha**

Kagome walked up to the top of the roof and sat down, looking out at the beauty. She had a lot on her mind, it seemed. _Inuyasha…why did he invite me here? It couldn't be just because I punched Kikyo. What else is there? What is he not telling me? Oh…Dad…I miss you so much. I wish you were here to help me with this…or at least hug me._ Kagome gripped her locket so hard she cut her palm open a little.

"Well that was stupid of me…" She mumbled to herself, wiping the little bit of blood on her pajama pants; still not realizing that she wasn't alone on the roof. Inuyasha sat a ways away, giving her privacy but keeping an eye on her. He smelled her blood, but wasn't concerned; he could hear everything she was saying to herself. He was waiting for just the right moment to walk up and sit down beside her.

Kagome let out a deep sigh, still holding her locket…just not as tight. _Dad why did you leave? You were so happy and healthy…you had no reason to go! So…why did you? _Kagome felt immense anger all of a sudden, and she gritted her teeth. Inuyasha could sense the anger mixed with sadness and confusion…something was definitely troubling her. Kagome looked up at the moon and she stared at it. _Dad…you always told me that if I was ever sad, just to look at the moon and I would be happy and feel at ease again… _Kagome looked down and squeezed her eyes shut. Letting out a frustrated sigh mixed with a growl, she glared back up at the moon.

"Well I'm not happy, Dad! I'm not happy because you aren't here to tell me what to do! To guide me in the right direction! It's not fair…" Her voice faded. Inuyasha chose now to walk over to her. Hearing footsteps, she turned around.

"Inuyasha!" He nodded, and kept eye contact with her. "H-how long…were you standing there?" She glanced away, not wanting to look him in the eye.

"The whole time." Her eyes widened when he said this. He walked closer and sat down beside her.

"Why were you watching me?" Inuyasha didn't answer, just shrugged. He looked over at her again with a serious look.

"Do you wanna tell me what's on your mind?" Kagome shook her head, and he sighed.

"Kagome…" He began, waiting for her response.

"Yeah Inuyasha?" She looked at him with a sad smile.

"I can't help get rid of the pain you're feeling if you don't tell me anything. I know we've only known each other for a month or so, but I really hate seeing you like this." He had a calm look on his face, and was looking out at the mountains. Kagome looked at him sadly.

"Inuya-sha…" Her voice cracked in the middle of talking. He looked over at her, but her eyes were squeezed shut.

"Kagome please. Talk to me?" She snapped her eyes open and looked at him. He frowned at her current appearance, they were a lot of unshed tears waiting to spill out. Instead of talking she launched herself into his chest, burying her head in his shoulder. Inuyasha was shocked for a moment, but he slowly wrapped his arms around her back. She wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. All she could do was cry. _She's been holding it all in…since her Father died…_Inuyasha just held her as tight as he could, rubbing her back and stroking her hair.

"Kagome, it's alright. I'm here for you. It's okay to cry when you're sad." He whispered in her ear. She only nodded, and began to cry even harder. Inuyasha sighed, he hated seeing her like this. Hell, he hated seeing anyone cry. They stayed this way for another twenty minutes before she calmed down. Inuyasha pulled back and looked at her.

"Kagome…please, promise me that you will come to me when you're feeling like this. Please? I worry about you." He looked into her dark brown eyes. She looked at him and nodded before finally speaking.

"Thanks you…so much." She whispered. Kagome broke her gaze at him, and looked at her hands which now resided in her lap. Inuyasha didn't stop looking at her though, and she could feel his gaze on her. She couldn't help but blush.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha put his thumb and index finger underneath her chin, forcing her to look at him. He couldn't take it any longer. He slowly leaned down towards her face, hoping that she won't reject him. His lips brushed against hers, trying not to scare her away. He pulled away and leaned his forward against hers, looking into her eyes. He was searching for some kind of emotion. Kagome looked at him for about five more seconds, before she grabbed his face and kissed him fully on the lips. Inuyasha was stunned, but he returned the kiss. That was like the fourth time she's shocked him in less than an hour!

Kagome was the one who broke the kiss, causing Inuyasha to whimper at the loss. Kagome yawned, making Inuyasha give a small smile.

"You're tired." He said.

"No I'm…not." She said with another yawn, causing Inuyasha to chuckle.

"Come on, you need sleep." He picked her up bridal-style and carried her back into the bedroom. Lying her down on the bed, he turned to leave but was stopped.

"Inuyasha…please don't go." She said in a barely audible whisper, but he heard it clear as day. Turning around, he walked over to the other side of the bed. He pulled the covers back and climbed in. She turned around to face him, and smiled in thanks. He smiled back, and pulled her up against his chest. Inuyasha waited until her breathing slowed down and her heart beat steadied before finally letting sleep take over. They both slept with a smile on their faces.

~O.O~O.O~

Soo? How was it! Let me know please :D Reviews are great, it gives me reason to keep on with this story. Constructive criticism is always welcomed, but no flames please! Next chapter shall be up soon! Pinky promise :P

Oh P.S.-the song is called "No One" by Aly & Aj...it's old but I think it gives a good message :D


	7. Important News?

**HELLOOOOOO MY DARLING READERS :D I missed you all! Did ya miss me? Sorry it's been soooo long since I wrote :/ Everything has been busy with school, parents, summer vacation approaching and blah blah blah….anyhoo on with the story!**

***DISCLAIMER* I do NOT own Inuyasha, or his adorable doggy ears…FML :'(**

**~O.O~O.O~**

Kagome walked into the kitchen to find Sesshomaru behind the stove making what appeared to be pancakes. He turned towards her and smiled.

"Good morning, I trust you slept well?" Kagome smiled and nodded.

"Yes I did, thanks. Whatcha making there?" She turned her attention towards the stove and Sesshomaru followed her gaze.

"I decided to make some breakfast for everybody. You think you could help me? I'm not much of a cook." Kagome giggled at him and said she'd help him. Thus began the bonding between the two, and a series of 20 questions from Sesshomaru.

"So how did you meet my idiot for a half-brother?" Kagome rolled her eyes before responding.

"Weren't you paying attention when we arrived? We met at the dance studio I work at when he came as a special guest. It was definitely awkward, because he liked to torment me asking if I could dance and then saying I was an amateur. Boy, I could have throttled him then!" Sesshomaru couldn't help but laugh out loud. He had to admit, the raven-haired girl was quite entertaining. So much fire and spirit, she reminded him of his mate.

"That definitely sounds like the idiot. So you dance? You want to know how Inuyasha started dancing?" She nodded her head and smiled like a kid in a candy store. Sesshomaru gave a soft smile before speaking. "Well I can tell you now, he hated dancing for awhile. See, Izayoi put him in dance class when he was really young. And he didn't mind it until he got older and kids started bothering him about it. So, he quit for awhile until he met Kikyo." Kagome flinched at the sound of her name, and Sesshomaru noticed but said nothing. "At first she was a very quiet and reserved girl, and Inuyasha followed her like a lost puppy. She had been working in small dance competitions, ballroom of course, and was in need of a partner. And Inuyasha was quick to help. Inuyasha was about 16 and Kikyo was 15 when they did their first competition together. I remember that competition very clearly. Dad, Izayoi, and myself sat in the front row watching them. They were very graceful, very precise…certainly rare to find in two teenagers. Anyways, that was the competition that got Inuyasha noticed, because it was rare to find a boy his age who could dance and actually enjoyed it. So for the next 3 years they dated and did competitions and won a lot of them, until he showed up." Kagome gave him a puzzled look and he answered the look by speaking again. "His name is Naraku. You might have heard of him. He's pretty well-known, but he's a cheat. Naraku approached Kikyo and asked her to be his partner for a competition, and she gladly agreed. But her and Inuyasha were supposed to compete in that same one. Needless to say, he got pissed and walked out and Kikyo didn't seem to mind. It appeared she had an…infatuation with Naraku."

"How could she do that? That's horrible! Inuyasha must have been heartbroken…but wait, what is she doing hanging around him all the time?" Sesshomaru expected this question.

"Simple, Naraku wants Inuyasha out of an approaching competition, so he is having Kikyo try to get him to drop out. But that idiot is as stubborn as bull. No chance he'll drop out. Though he doesn't have a partner…I'm not sure how he'll compete." Sesshomaru looked at Kagome expectantly. She quickly caught on to what he was hinting.

"Sesshomaru…I don't know if I could do that…I mean so many people watching and it's just one little competition, why compete?" Sesshomaru chuckled at the nervous girl.

"This competition decides who will compete in the finals, and Inuyasha wants to win to show people he won't let others stand in his way." Kagome sighed, thinking about her options.

"Alright," she began, "I'm in."

~O.O~O.O~

Kagome lied on her bed deciding what to do to kill the boredom of the day. After her conversation with Sesshomaru that morning, she'd gone to her room and hasn't left yet. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come on in." She yelled. She expected it to be Inuyasha or Sango, but there stood Izayoi with a warm smile on her face.

"Hi Izayoi. Is there something you need?" Izayoi shook her head and walked over to Kagome.

"I just wanted to let you know that Inutaisho, Sesshomaru, and myself are going to be leaving for a bit. We have to go to the airport and pick up his mate. Apparently she has some important news for us. We'll be gone for awhile, so I just wanted to make sure you'll be okay here alone with Inuyasha?"

"You mean he isn't going with you?" Kagome asked with mild shock. Izayoi chuckled and shook her head 'no.'

"He decided he didn't want to go. Why don't you go talk to him? He seems like something is bothering him." Kagome nodded, signaling she would. Izayoi sighed and hugged the girl, then got up and left. Kagome stayed in her room till she heard a car engine roar to life and fade into the distance. Opening her door, she walked into the quiet hall. The only sound being the soft padding of her feet on the cool wooden floors. She checked his room, only to find it empty. Sighing to herself, she headed towards the kitchen. She was just about there was a loud pounding on the front door. _Who on earth could that be?_ Kagome shrugged to herself and went to answer it. When she opened it, she was met with nothing.

"Well that's just odd…" Kagome felt a small bite on the side of neck and smacked it, onlt to find a little flea in her hand.

"A flee…?" Now she was confused. The flea was flattened, but soon enough popped back to it's normal size.

"Why hello there! You are not who I was expecting. Is Inuyasha here?" Kagome looked at the flea and blinked a couple of times.

"Did you just…talk?" Said flea scoffed.

"Of course I did! Never heard of a demon flea before? Now where is the master at?"

"Master…?" Kagome was still confused, but she yelled for Inuyasha anyways.

"What's up Kagome?" She didn't say anything, just held out her hand. Inuyasha gave her a confused look then looked in her hand.

"Well if it isn't Old Myouga. Gotta say, it's been awhile since I saw you last." _So Inuyasha knows this flea?_

"Master Inuyasha! Please respect your elders. Besides, your father asked me to come here and keep an eye on you and some guest whom I'm assuming is this wonderful tasting women, yes?" Kagome went three different shades of red. Wonderful tasting? That's definitely a first!

"Myouga…I'm twenty years old! I don't need a babysitter. So would you please go find my father and tell him to-"

"Inuyasha! Be nice! Myouga, go and tell Inutaisho that he has nothing to worry about and that I'll deal with Inuyasha, alright?" Myouga looked at the girl in shock.

"Very well. Might I have a name for such a wonderful young women?" Kagome blushed before responding.

"Kagome Higurashi." Myouga bowed and hopped off of her hand and outside. Kagome just blinked in the direction before scratching her head.

"Well that was weird." She mumbled. Inuyasha nodded his head in agreement and began walking off before Kagome stopped him.

"I'll do it." Inuyasha turned towards her with a confused look. She gave a small smile and added to her statement. "I'll be your partner for that competition." Inuyasha's eyes widened and looked at her face searching for some sort of uncertainty that would say she didn't want to, but when he found none he spoke.

"Kagome…how-"

"Sesshomaru and I were talking and he brought it up. I want to help you reach the top and take down Kikyo and Naraku." Inuyasha was speechless. The only thing he could think of to do was hug her, and that's what he did.

"Thank you." He mumbled into her hair. She smiled up at him.

"Anything to help a friend in need!" He chuckled and together they headed towards the kitchen, awaiting the others to return with the "important news."

~O.O~O.O~

**Sooo…how was it? There was A LOT of important info revealed in this chapter. It's a little short, but I must say, I'm quite content with it! :P lol. But anyways, who do you think Sesshomaru's mate is? And what is her important news she has to share? We will find out soon enough! ;D With that said, reviews would be nice so I know how I'm doing. And please, if you want to be a critic go ahead. But no flames because they aren't nice. I will gladly accept any helpful tips on what could be improved! Oh and Sesshomaru…he's a lot more different in this story, ain't he? Well, I'll see y'all next time!**

**See ya sunflowers! :D**

**-taylorcatherine**


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